Teachers to be given tougher powers

Teachers will be handed tough powers to search pupils for alcohol, drugs and mobile phones

Teachers will be handed tough powers to search pupils for alcohol, drugs and mobile phones in a Government crackdown on bad behaviour, it has been announced.

Rules allowing schools to use physical force to remove unruly students from the classroom are also set to be simplified, while teachers facing accusations from pupils will be granted anonymity to prevent careers being ruined by "malicious" claims.

The raft of measures, which have won support from the teaching profession, were unveiled by Schools Minister Nick Gibb on Wednesday in an effort to restore discipline to the classroom.

Official figures show 2,230 pupils were permanently excluded last year for physical assaults on teachers or fellow pupils and tens of thousands more suspended. One in five secondary schools is rated "satisfactory" or worse by Ofsted for behaviour and two in five teachers have witnessed physical aggression - a quarter of them being the victims of it.

Mr Gibb said: "Heads and teachers know best how to improve behaviour but are too often constrained by regulations which inhibit them from maintaining control of the classroom. Today we are removing red tape so that teachers can ensure discipline in the classroom and promote good behaviour.

"Teachers should feel confident in exercising their authority, and pupils should not have to suffer disruption to their learning caused by the poor behaviour of others."

The measures include beefed-up powers, which will be introduced in September, for teachers to search pupils for alcohol, drugs and stolen property, as well as mobile phones, MP3 players, cameras, pornography, fireworks, cigarettes and so-called "legal highs".

Further legislation allowing teachers to search for any item that could cause disorder will be introduced later. Under present rules, headteachers and other authorised staff can only force pupils to be searched if they suspect them of carrying weapons. The previous government had planned to allow them to check for alcohol and drugs, but the legislation did not go through before the election.

Courts will be told to heed clearer guidance that physical force can be used to remove youngsters from classrooms or restrain troublemakers. Simplified guidance on the use of force will be published.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: "There are rare occasions when young people may be carrying and concealing dangerous materials. In those situations, teachers have to make a judgment call on the spot. In doing so, they should not be subject to the potential for accusations that they are acting illegally because the items that they are searching for fall outside the range permitted by law."